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PRO-RUSSIAN ARMED MEN have seized control of parliament and government buildings in the Ukrainian region of Crimea, raising Russian flags above them.
Up to 50 men with weapons marched into the buildings during the night, hoisted Russian flags on top and were blocking government workers from entering, Crimean prime minister Anatoliy Mohilyov told AFP.
Local authorities were preparing to “take measures”, Mohilyov said without adding any more details.
“We ask government workers not to come to work today,” the regional government said in a statement.
Dozens of men in full combat dress but without any markings of affiliation marched into the government and parliament buildings earlier in the morning and removed the guards without any fight, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted sources in parliament as saying.
It said that they gained entrance to the building complex by firing on the glass doors but no-one was hurt.
The move came amid concerns of growing separatism on the overwhelmingly pro-Russian peninsula on the Black Sea after the ousting of pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych.
The head of the local assembly for Crimea’s Muslim Tatar minority — which is fearful of any pro-Russian separatist moves — confirmed that the buildings had been seized.
“I was told that the buildings of the Crimean Verkhovna Rada (parliament) and the Crimean Council of Ministers (government) are occupied by armed men in uniform without identification signs,” Refat Chubarov wrote on Facebook.
“They have not put forward any demands yet.”
Unconfirmed news reports said that the buildings were being controlled by Russian-speaking militia groups formed by the local population.
Many in Crimea, which is overwhelmingly Russian rather than Ukrainian speaking, strongly oppose the takeover of Ukraine by pro-EU and anti-Kremlin forces.
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As a proud Dublin man, if I’m truly honest with myself, I must admit that Cork is a far superior city to Dublin in every possible way. From the vibrant side streets, delightful restaurants with delightful staff, Busy Cafes, Minimal traffic congestion, sexy accents and just a better looking and better mannered population it really is a no brainer. And if any Dublin Native is truly honest with themselves they’ll come to the same conclusion also.
@Luke Lee: loads of muggings, drug dealing and closed shops up and down Patrick St, not what it used to be like.
@ianglen: so, like Dublin then?
@Luke Lee: No
@Luke Lee: You find someone saying Boyo sexy? You need to get out more.
@Olivia Smith: Are you talking about the Welsh fella who lives on Magazine Road?
@Olivia Smith: Boyo? What county are you thinking of? Nobody goes around Cork saying “boyo”!
@Luke Lee: it’s not a contest. #loveboth …. too soon?
@Luke Lee: we all know Galway is really everyone’s favourite!
@Sam Harms: I love Galway and have been there loads of times but seriousness, is it ever not raining there?
@ianglen: loads of muggings , go away will ya . About 4 in the last year that we’re more worthy and there’s a task force patrolling the city day and night to help with the antisocial issues.
@ianglen:
Always one misery guts!!!!!
Walked by it last night, street was full of punters enjoying food and drink, all respecting social distancing, this is a great initiative, well done Cork.
Great idea! I remember being in Denmark around 15 years ago where seating outside is very common, covered too so they can sit in the rain, they have gas burners for cold weather. Works in Denmark which is windier than Ireland, so can work here (might need sturdier/heavier seating or bolt down), just look how they do it.
@Damian Moylan: It’s the only way it’s going to work tbh. Our summer is very wet this year.
@Damian Moylan: don’t tell the greens a 100% inefficient gas burners but then again they’re thousands and thousands of them on every oil and gas well all over world burning 24/7, got sinacally side tracked anyway best of luck with your outdoor dining cork let’s hope the n misrable weather for past month changes soon
@Green Lentils: We’ve had one of the longest droughts and some record high temps in the country for months. Would hardly class it as a ‘wet summer’ based on the rain over the past couple of weeks.
@RogerRamjet: We have also had below average temperatures and above average rainfall in June…
Great idea until our first named storm of the season and all the furniture ends up in the river lee. This isn’t the continent it’s Ireland.
@Ruairi O Gorman: I’d imagine they put the furniture in at night.
@Ruairi O Gorman: Stop being a grouch. Let them enjoy it while they can.
@Ruairi O Gorman: It’s not bolted down, can be easily moved if a storms coming
@Ruairi O Gorman: agree. Looks lovely but a long, wet Winter in Ireland would hamper it…
@Ruairi O Gorman: You’re so right. This is Ireland, and how dare people use their heads and be innovative. What clown choose furniture that can be removed for deliveries, and not for storms? Ridiculous carry on.
@Ruairi O Gorman: They move the furniture in the morning . Can you read?
@Nicola Ní Chathail: Or the long wet summer we’re currently having. Awnings would help.
@Aidan O’ Neill: apologies I didn’t realise the river floods only at night.
@Ruairi O Gorman: tell you what Ruairi…you can stay home in your slippers and a blanket over your knees making little moany noises. Meanwhile anyone who wants can head outside and do stuff, even if there’s an oul drop of rain.
@Nicola Ní Chathail: Put a retractable cover over it. If there’s a will there’s a way. Police it a night time so people don’t get robbed etc on the way home.
If it can work in Cork in can work in lots of Irish towns.
@Ruairi O Gorman: Good point. Amsterdam and Copenhagen are famed for their arid climates and lack of waterways.
@Derek Walsh: Amsterdam the city below below sea level with a state of the art water level control, they learned alot in 1953. Meanwhile the river lee floods at least 3 times on an average year.
@Ruairi O Gorman: hahaha. You do realise they’d be brought in if there’s excessive rainfall? You know that thing that causes floods.
@Ruairi O Gorman: Oh well. Then I guess there’s no other solution but to watch the chairs and tables float away whenever that happens.
Great idea! Dublin doing something similar for 4 weekends on a trial basis.
@Mairead Jenkins: won’t go anywhere, too many vested interests
It seems like a brilliant idea, worth trying here too. What have businesses to lose, seriously ?
@J: But whose interests are actually served by allowing cars in those streets? Not the public, certainly. Not the businesses on those streets. (Nobody spends money from their cars, after all.) Not even car park owners. Those who so insist on driving into town will still need somewhere to put their vehicle.
@Mairead Jenkins:
Great idea for Dublin, should be more of it.
However i see mannix flynn is complaining about it, he never has anything constructive to say. Why do people vote for him?? Seems to hate anything positive in Dublin.
Great idea once you ban cycling down the street and as happens every few mins on grafton street.
@Thomas Claffey: really? Every few minutes? You do understand other people have actually been on Grafton street? BS
@Thomas Claffey: If it’s a pedestrianised street, then cycling would be banned (as it is on Grafton St.).
@Craic_a_tower: yes and I work on the street you trool
@Thomas Claffey: do you work directly on it as a speed bump? Walked down it daily and never saw a single cyclist
Good to see investment from clancys at a time of uncertainty, forward thinking, inventive well done to all involved
Cool, we’ve traded Malaga for cork this year, looking forward to a night away down there next week.
Like Cork, dont like the people.
@ChronicAnxiety: We’re actually grand like, perhaps you met one or two bad eggs, which every county and city have.
@ChronicAnxiety: Thanks a bunch :’(
@Órla Collins: No Im sure they are very nice , but any I have met seem to constantly give out about whatever town they are in and how “it’s not Cork”.
Fine but its someones home town they are insulting – thats why they are unpopular, and they tend only to make friends with other cork people. And I know it is a generalisation- there are some wonderful Cork people, Jack Lynch who I met a few times was a gentleman.
I think this refers to the stretch of Prince’s Street between Oliver Plunkett St and South Mall as the other end has been fully pedestrianised for donkeys’ years. I’d love to see the whole city centre car-free with the exception of delivery trucks eventually.
That’s what you call thinking outside the box
Every pub on the country, if they’re able to provide outdoor service, should be open. And they should’ve been open mid-april
have your say